This invention relates to a plastic bag dispenser and, more particularly, to a plastic bag dispenser for use in the home.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,262 entitled Plastic Bag Dispenser discloses a number of plastic bag dispensers intended to be used in grocery stores and the like for dispensing individual plastic bags to consumers. The plastic bags shown and described in the ""262 patent are formed in a star sealed configuration. A star sealed configuration is formed by fully gussetting a tubular film on both sides and then folding the fully guessetted web in half to form eight contiguous plies with a fold line along one edge. The web is then sealed and perforated with a central slot formed in the perforation line so that the bags can be dispensed one by one during use. The web is wound on a core which supports the roll of bags in the dispenser.
The present invention provides a relatively small and simple construction which can be used to dispense plastic bags. The invention is intended for home use although obviously dispensers made in accordance with the invention can be used wherever desired. In the preferred embodiment, the bags are the same as those used in the ""262 patent, but the rolls are substantially smaller, i.e. there are fewer bags in a roll.
Briefly, in accordance with the invention, a dispenser for dispensing plastic bags wound in a roll on a hollow cylindrical core, comprises a molded plastic body having a bottom panel from which two sidewalls extend upwardly. The sidewalls converge slightly and include stub axles which receive the ends of the core on which the roll is wound. The sidewalls apply a braking force to the ends of the core and an additional braking force is applied by providing a close fit between the inner diameter of the core and the diameter of the stub axle.